Jan 31 (Island) TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran, PC, on behalf of several political parties, represented in Parliament, has requested the govt to delay the repayment of foreign debt. Jaffna District MP and TNA spokesperson Sumanthiran said that he had launched an effort to seek a consensus with his colleagues in his former capacity as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance. more..

Jan 31 (Island) NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa has warned the govt of dire consequences unless its decision to do away with fertiliser and agro-chemicals is reversed. Industries Minister emphasised that the govt shouldn�t be ashamed to reverse the decision. Reiterating his support for carbonic agriculture, he emphasised whatever the circumstances, agriculture for commercial purposes couldn�t be allowed to be ruined and the community driven away from agriculture. more..

Jan 31 (ST) The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Chairman has slammed the utility for the current energy crisis, saying it was entirely man-made, and called for the responsible officers to be punished. Chairman M.M.C. Ferdinando has also written to Acting General Manager D.C.R. Abeysekara instructing him to buy 300MW of emergency power�the generation capacity of a single unit of the Lakvijaya coal power plant� from private sector as electricity shortage reaches dire proportions. more..

Jan 31 (ICC) Sri Lankans picked themselves up well from the disappointment of their heart-breaking four-run defeat to Afghanistan in the World Cup quarter-finals, putting on 232/6 in their 50 overs, thanks in large part to the brilliance of captain Dunith Wellalage. Wellalage�s outstanding 113 came from 130 balls, with the Sri Lanka skipper coming in with his side in trouble on 25/3, and only falling in the penultimate over as he looked to add some fast runs late on. more..

Jan 31 (FT) COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 84,926 persons on Saturday and 77.33% of the population has received at least one vaccine dose. The second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine has been administered to 64.71% of the population. 16,641,134 persons have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 13,915,137 persons have received the second dose. The booster dose has been administered to 5,165,184 persons. This includes 65,340 vaccinated on Saturday. more..

Jan 31 (TM) The CEB is hoping Unit Three of the coal-fired thermal power plant Lakvijaya Power Station in Norochcholai will be added to the national power grid today (31), following its repairs since the first week of Dec 2021. �Norochcholai will be restarted on Sunday night and we hope that by Monday, it will be added to the national grid. The need for power outages will be reviewed again, after Norochcolai restarts its full operations, more..

Jan 31 (FT) National Movement to Protect Consumer Rights (NMPCR) alleges some businesses are attempting to mix palm oil with coconut oil and release it to the market. NMPCR Convenor Ranjith Vithanage claims that some businesses had lobbied for a reduction in import tax of palm oil, and are looking to capitalise on the demand for coconut oil during the coming traditional New Year season in April. The NMPCR stated that Prez Rajapaksa had previously instructed more..

Jan 31 (DM) Chief incumbent of Minuwangoda Raja Maha Viharaya has been remanded till February 2 by Minuwangoda Magistrate Kesara Samaradiwakara for allegedly assaulting an individual and obstructing police after being drunk. According to the B reports filed at Minuwangoda Magistrate's Court it was reported that Minuwangoda police had received a complaint initially over 119 regarding a thief being apprehended at the Minuwangoda Raja Maha Viharaya. more..

Jan 31 (TM) Indicating a possible increase in electricity tariffs, a high-level official at the CEB said that the public should expect electricity tariffs to be increased, while the Head of Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL), which regulates the CEB, said that electricity tariffs must be revised upwards. The senior CEB official pointed to the Treasury Dept having to release Rs. 93 billion to the CEB to pay its debts recently as an incident more..

Jan 31 (FT) COVID-19 detections over the weekend rose to 2,038 with 1,056 persons testing positive for the virus yesterday. Daily COVID-19 detections exceeded 1,000 for the first time since 26 Sept 2021, when 1,078 persons tested positive for COVID-19. 1,054 persons from the New Year cluster and two overseas arrivals were among the COVID-19 patients detected yesterday. The previous day, 973 persons from the New Year cluster, five SL overseas arrivals and four persons from more..

Jan 31 (AD) A group of individuals had reportedly hurled eggs at the vehicle of JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Gampaha district convention of the NPP, which was held in Kalgedihena today (30). Party supporters had managed to capture two individuals involved in the incident and hand them over to police. The convention was held at a private reception hall in Kalgedihena while as the leader of the was arriving at the venue several persons who had more..

Jan 31 (DN) The Govt, during a series of mobile programmes in the Northern Province (NP) over the weekend, distributed Rs. 100 million as reparations to aggrieved persons who were affected by the war against LTTE terrorism. The mobile services were conducted as part of the Access to Justice programme by the Justice Ministry in Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Mannar and Vavuniya districts, with the objective of laying more..

Jan 31 (FT) Aseni, whiz kid in economics, has been perturbed by the news that SL�s corruption perception has been elevated in 2021 according to the Berlin-based Transparency International which compiles the global corruption perception annually. According to news, SL�s corruption perception score has fallen from 38 in 2020 to 37 in 2021. As a result, its global ranking among some 180 countries has also fallen from 94 to 102. Aseni has learned at school that the existence of a corruption-free more..

Jan 31 (FT) The tourism sector which was the second/third largest foreign income generator for SL until 2018, has been severely affected, firstly, by the senseless Easter Sunday attacks in 2019 and then by the global pandemic. Sri Lanka tourism has been hugely affected due to the many travel bans introduced since mid-2020. China, which contributed the second largest number of tourists till Dec 2019, is still on heavy health guidelines, therefore will most likely not be part of the top 3 countries with more..

Jan 31 (DM) SJB does not have to wait till it comes into power to work for people as it is already receiving assistance from foreign countries, Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa said over the weekend. Speaking during the launch of SJB's Agriculture Policy Samagi Govi Jana Prakashaya in Polonnaruwa over the weekend, Premadasa said his party has received assistance from foreign countries to carry out development work for the first time in Sri Lanka's history. more..

Jan 31 (AD) Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has firmly denied the reports claiming that he was involved in the incident in which eggs were hurled at the vehicle of JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Minister stated that he vehemently rejects the reports and that he strongly condemns the attack as the Gampaha District leader of SLPP. Further, lawmaker said, �as a person who recognizes and respects one�s democratic right to hold a political rally not only in the Gampaha more..

Jan 31 (AD) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has declared that there will be no scheduled power interruptions in the country until further notice. The electricity sector regulator convened a meeting earlier today to review the current situation and to decide whether it is necessary to impose scheduled power cuts. On Jan 27, the PUCSL, after reviewing the situation at power plants and availability of fuel stocks more..

Jan 31 (Island) The Organisation of Professional Associations of SL (OPA) has held discussions with the authorities of the govt and have made proposals to further develop Tourism, Foreign Employment, Shipping, the Apparel Sector, Export Incentives, the Spice Industry and several other industries of the SME sector on a par with India and China. Taking into account Sri Lanka�s geographical position in the Indian ocean and its multifaceted areas attracting international interest, more..

Jan 31 (EN) Kelani Tyres said 3.2 billion rupees will be invested though its joint venture with India�s CEAT unit in the island to boost capacity in car, SUV and motorcycle tyres. The firm expects o boost steel belted radial tyre capacity for cars, SUVs and light vans from the current 51,000 to 61,000 per month. Motor cycle capacity will be increased to 57,000 from the current 41,000. The investment will also be used to replace old tyre making machines with new ones with higher capacity and more..

Jan 31 (EN) Sri Lanka has stopped random COVID-19 tests and health authorities are instead relying on voluntary tests amid a shortage in rapid antigen test kits, the Public Health Inspectors (PHI) Union claimed as accurate daily infection numbers prove harder to come by. PHI Union chairman Upul Rohana said by end January, random testing has completely stopped and all cases currently being detected are patients that more..

Jan 31 (DM) In the wake of a death of a grade six student due to COVID-19, LRH Director G. Wijesuirya said the inoculation of children under the 12 years of age is still under consideration. He said that the vaccination drive for any age group is carried out based on proper scientific research. �Several countries have already started vaccinating kids above five. However, we need more time to decide on vaccination drive for kids below 12 as we are yet to receive more scientific data,� more..

Jan 31 (Island) Justice Minister Ali Sabry�s attempts to ban trade union action was a violation of international labour agreements that the country had ratified, and this could have disastrous consequences for the country, College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) President, Ravi Kumudesh said. Last week, Justice Minister proposed to ban strikes in sectors such as health, ports, customs, water supply, power and energy. �By violating international labour agreements, more..

Jan 31 (AD) A man has succumbed to injuries after his legs were mercilessly severed using a mechanical saw over a personal dispute, the police said. The incident took place in the area of Mahangoda in Katugastota police area. The 32-year-old victim is reportedly a resident of Poholiyadda area in Galagedara. A suspect, aged 54 years, has been arrested over the incident and the mechanical saw used in the murder was also seized by the police. more..

Jan 31 (CI) Uncapped SL fast bowler Nuwan Thushara has tested positive for Covid-19, and his participation in SL's upcoming T20I tour of Australia has been put in doubt as a result. Dilshan Fonseka, the team's trainer, has also tested positive and, like Thushara, is "currently undergoing covid-19 protocols", according to a Sri Lanka Cricket statement*. Though the update about Thushara has just come to light, ESPNcricinfo understands that he had returned a positive result six days ago. more..

Jan 31 (TM) The talks which circulated that the Energy Ministry had required the CEB to pay for its fuel requirements in US dollars were a misunderstanding, and the Ministry had merely requested the CEB to assist in obtaining the required US dollars, according to the Ministry of Energy. Ministry of Energy Secretary K.D.R. Olga stated that the Ministry of Energy had at no point asked that the payment for the fuel supplied to the CEB more..

Jan 31 (TM) Sixty percent of the construction work of the new bridge across the Nawala canal in Rajagiriya to solve the heavy traffic congestion in Ethulkotte-Nawala road has been completed, Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said yesterday. Minister Fernando said that he instructed officials to expedite the work to complete the construction to eliminate heavy traffic congestion faced by the general public using the Ethulkotte-Nawala road during the rush hours daily. more..

Jan 31 (TM) JAT Holdings PLC has delivered a rise in group profit after tax (PAT) of 232%, during the third quarter (Q3) of FY 2021/22, despite subdued market conditions while recording the highest-ever PAT. It is against the same period in the year prior, to Rs. 717 million for the quarter, while PAT for the trailing 12-months (TTM) stood at Rs. 1,102 million. Export revenue share also rose to 22% of total revenue, against 9% achieved during the year prior. Discussing the financial performance of more..

Jan 31 (TM) SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday (30) stated that the statement made by the Minister of Trade Dr. Bandula Gunawardana that Sri Lanka�s exports had risen by 23% in 2021 compared to 2020 was a �huge lie� and that the Minister should have known better. He further stated: �The Export Development Board had targeted around $ 24 billion in export revenue for 2021 and they achieved only a mere a $15b. more..

Jan 31 (EN) SL should not use foreign reserves for imports, because under a 6.5% policy rate an equal amount of money will be printed, which will prevent a contraction in credit and reserve money, encourage imports, perpetuate forex shortages and bring the country closer to default. There has been flurry of calls to use reserves for imports rather than repaying debt. No person who advocates Sri Lanka going to the IMF can also advocate using reserves for imports with a straight face. more..

Jan 31 (Island) Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara says he has sought UNICEF assistance to provide Sri Lankan children with clean drinking water. The Minister made this request when the newly-appointed Country Representative of the UNICEF to Sri Lanka Christian Skoog met him last week. The Ministry of Water Supply and Drainage has in a release said that the discussion between the UNICEF representative and the Minister focused on children and their water needs. more..

Jan 31 (DM) The man who was killed in a shooting in Doha, Qatar last week was not a SL worker, the SLBFE said today. An official of the SLBFE said that the Qatari Police had confirmed that the deceased was not a Sri Lankan. Doha News reported last week that a SL security guard was fatlly shot Wednesday evening. Spokesman of the SLBFE Mangala Randeniya said that State Minister Piyankara Jayaratne had instructed the Labour Division of the SL Embassy in Qatar to look more..

Jan 31 (TM) Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka says he does not believe that the country will develop just because the SJB comes to power. �This country will not develop because we form a govt. On the other side there are economic experts. We also have great people,� he said addressing an event. Referring to the ruling party and the main opposition, the SJB MP said there are experts on both sides, however this country is not developing. �Why is it not developing? Because of corruption and misuse. more..

Jan 31 (PTI) Sri Lanka�s hardline Tamil minority party Tamil National People�s Front (TNPF) on Sunday organised a protest march in the Northern capital of Jaffna to protest against the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Tamils reject 13th amendment protest rally was held near the historic Nallur Kovil, organisers said, adding the protesters would also stage a walk from Nallur to the Kittu Park in Jaffna town. more..

Jan 31 (CT) The SJB is not strong or powerful enough to face the current crisis that is affecting the country, SJB MP Champika Ranawaka said. He also said shifting of power from one party to another cannot resolve problems in the country and there needs to be a broad social programme. He added the SJB was formed as a result of the UNP dodging the opportunity to rule the country in 2015. Ranawaka while noting that his political career was not decided by being a member of more..

Jan 31 (Island) Federation of Sinhala Organisation has faulted the current dispensation over its response to post-war accountability issues. Dr. Wasantha Bandara and Yass Dharmadasa of the National Patriotic Front and the Global SL Forum, respectively, lambasted the govt for what they called the SLPP administration�s failure to realise the growing threat posed by those propagating war crimes accusations to pressure SL to give in to their demand for a federal structure in N&E more..

Jan 31 (DM) Filmmaker Vimukthi Jayasundara has been invited to be at the Jury of GWFF Best First Feature Award of the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival (BIFF) in Germany. This is the first time a Sri Lankan film artiste is sitting at the jury of the BIFF, one of the world�s leading film festivals. The BIFF is among the Big Five film festivals which others include Cannes, Venice, Sundance and Toronto. more..